27 at Amsterdam. Once there, you’ll find a wide open area to watch trains (as well as boats on the river). The lock itself is on the south shore of the Mohawk, with the locktender’s tower near the east end of the lock. There is a paved parking area near the locktender’s tower, but there is also adequate room to park at the west end of the lock. Just stay out of the way of any access roads that might be needed for lock maintenance. It should be noted that there are no shade trees here, and parking is out in the sun. If the weather is pleasant, you can unpack a sports chair and enjoy the sun and the breeze off the river. In hot or cold weather, you can take refuge in your car. If you have a radio scanner that picks up railroads, you will get plenty of warning for trains so you can get out of your car and set up. The signals at Milepost 173 are just west of this location; there is a defect detector at Milepost 177 that will give you a few minutes warning for trains coming east. Most trains also call all the signals on the line over the radio, so you’ll hear approaching westbounds call the 169 and 171 signals as they approach you. The radio frequency you’ll want to monitor is 160.800.


Fall is a good time to visit, as the weather is nice enough to be outside and the stand of trees behind the tracks turns awesome colors. You can wander


68 DECEMBER 2015 • RAILFAN.COM


TOP: An Amtrak train rolls east along the Mohawk River as it approaches Lock 10 on October 23. A dredge is tied up along the river. Just to the right of the dredge you can see the signals at milepost 173. You can park your car within a few feet of this spot.


ABOVE: A westbound CSX manifest rolls under the fall colors across the Mohawk River on October 23. The building protects the west entrance into the lock for eastbound boats.


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